Last 10 things seen at the theatre: #011

24th October to 11th November.


List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1. Henry V (Yvonne Arnaud)
2. The Lion in Winter (Theatre Royal Haymarket)
3. The Last of the Duchess (Hampstead)
4. King James Bible: Revelation (National; Lyttelton)
5. Hamlet (Young Vic)
6. 13 (National; Olivier)
7. Jerusalem (Apollo)
8. The Taming of the Shrew (Southwark Playhouse)
9. The Woman in Black (Fortune)
10. Jumpy (Royal Court)

Who was the best performer in number one (Henry V)?
Oh, all those wonderful men! How does one choose?! Erm... Tony Bell for his fine Fluellen, and Karl Davies for his Scroop and Katherine.

Why did you go to see number two (The Lion in Winter)?
I cannot tell a lie - the dazzlingly wonderful Masterclass scheme were offering £2 tickets to anyone aged 30 or under. Combine that with the opportunity to see James Norton again, and it was an easy sell.

Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (The Last of the Duchess) that you liked?
Nope, sorry.

What would you give number four (King James Bible: Revelation) out of ten?
How about 8? Obviously the fun level of an extended Bible reading is going to vary from person to person, but Revelation is pleasingly mad, and Simon Russell Beale is simply too wonderful for words. Who wouldn't want to listen to him reading you a story for 80 minutes?

Was there someone hot in number five (Hamlet)?
I'd say Vinette Robinson, but I understand that Michael Sheen is not without his fans. For the record, I really really liked this production!

What was number six (13) about?
I feel it would be presumptuous of me to make a declaration as to what this play was about when I'm not sure that even Mike Bartlett knows what this play was about.

Who was your favourite actor in number seven (Jerusalem)?
It is all about Alan David as the Professor for me.

What was your favourite bit in number eight (The Taming of the Shrew)?
Hipster Tranio! It turns out that you can actually get immense enjoyment out of a play you otherwise might not enjoy if you put a little creative spin on your interpretation as an audience member.

Would you see number nine (The Woman in Black) again?
Definitely. It's my favourite thing in the West End, and I honestly couldn't tell you off the top of my head how many times I've seen it. Not crazy numbers, but definitely more than I've seen anything else! (Okay, I've checked, it's 5 times.)

What was the worst thing about number ten (Jumpy)?
I don't have a worst thing about Jumpy. I really liked it all. (Yeah, okay, the male characters were kinda flat and dull in comparison with the female characters, but after hundreds of years of theatrical history with the opposite FAR more likely to be true, curiously, this didn't bother me AT ALL.)

Which was best?
Henry V. Closely followed by Jerusalem and Jumpy.

Which was worst?
I'm going to be harsh and say 13. I liked it, but I can't help but feel that it would be SO MUCH BETTER if only it weren't so ridiculously bloated.

Did any make you cry?
Henry V, Hamlet, and I think Jerusalem.

Did any make you laugh?
All of them did.

Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
I would sell my soul to be in Henry V. I don't care as who. I also really want to direct Hamlet one day, although Ian Rickson seems to have stolen some of my ideas.

Which one did you have best seats for?
I had front row centre for both Henry V and The Last of the Duchess. Oh lord, and Jerusalem, and I guess The Taming of the Shrew counts as well. And they've got ridiculously comfortable new seats at the Fortune theatre, so The Woman in Black too. I've had some GREAT seats lately, apparently!